Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Feb 7, 2012, 10:19 am
Tyler Butler joins the crew over at our label Yer Bird Records and re-releases ‘Winter King’ on March 20th, 2012! If you are reading Slowcoustic on a regular basis, you already know of Mr. Butler from Edmonton and we are very excited to bring one of our favourite albums of last year home to us ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Feb 4, 2012, 11:18 am
Small Sur – photo by Henn Pict Today has been excellent so far.  Really excellent. Small Sur posted on their Facebook wall this morning about a recent live recording that was up for a free download.  Apparently the long time in the making session for Mobtown Studios came to fruition and we now...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Feb 3, 2012, 9:46 am
Andrew Sisk (Photo by Scott Munn) Today’s song of the day is from one Andrew Sisk, who was passed on to me from Matt over at Pigeon Row (see them & their full list of clients here) and I am greatfull this brooding singer songwriter’s newest album is now with me. The album, Treelines, was relea...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Feb 1, 2012, 9:38 am
Sorry about the title of the post, I really had no clue how to even try to connect these two songs other than the fact that they are both songs that you can just stop and listen to.  And you should stop and listen to them. Canadian Matt Paxton has a new single from the good folks at Other Songs Mu...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 31, 2012, 9:48 am
Today sees the release of the newest opus from Elephant Micah. Being big fans around Slowcoustic HQ, this is an even bigger day as we also have a quick interview with Joe O’Connell along with our post on the album! The album is “Louder Than Thou” and is released from O’Connell’s own labe...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 30, 2012, 9:59 am
Not much to say here as I literally just started listening to Mr. Willy Tea Taylor about 5 days ago.  Thanks to the heads up from my good friends The Sumner Brothers on this true country crooner.   The voice, the look and the down home warmth you get from listening (even if they aren’t the sunn...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 28, 2012, 11:56 am
So the other day my close personal friends The Deep Dark Woods (don’t you know all Canadians know each other?) posted on their website and social outlets about a live download they are giving away.  Well after I feigned hipster nonchalance I casually grabbed a copy of it…I mean whatever…might...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 27, 2012, 10:04 am
I have been giving this album some serious spinning for the last month or so and it is indeed a seriously great listen.  The album officially saw its release on Jan. 24th (this past Tuesday) over on Crossroads of America.  The album is available on all your favourites; space age digital, retro CD ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 25, 2012, 10:16 am
Today’s song of the day is a cover of the classic track ‘Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want’ from The Smiths as performed by Pickering Pick.  Gone is the dramatically mellow angst only to be replaced by sombre aching alongside the ambient acoustics.  While we are not comparing which...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 24, 2012, 11:29 am
I know I have posted many times on this album and I am releasing it on my label over at Yer Bird Records, so I can’t really get into it anymore without making y’all upset.  So then, here is a track to listen to and let’s pretend that this is the first you have heard of this discovery and are ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 22, 2012, 11:26 am
Today’s (free) Song of the Day is from Noah Gundersen’s “B-Sides” one track release over on his Bandcamp page.  The track is Avalanche and is a recommendation for the hurt lover that pines from afar in all of us.  The song kind of makes you think that some of the most intense love affairs ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 20, 2012, 9:35 am
Water Liars (formerly ‘Phantom Limb’) are Andrew Bryant and Justin Kinkel-Schuster and they have an album coming up on Misra Records in March.  Just found out and just started to pine for it.  Just saying. Both musicians have been featured on Slowcoustic prior (Andrew Bryant | Justin Kinkel-S...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Jan 19, 2012, 9:53 am
Tomorrow sees the CD Release Show for hometown troubadour Reuben Bullock over at the Arrata Opera House here in Calgary.  I believe there is still space but make sure you check into the Facebook event for more info. The new album “Man Made Lakes” from Bullock sees an album growth from the prev...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 29, 2011, 12:13 pm
Just listening once again to this album this morning.  A stark, acoustic morning.  It’s quiet, understated and meant to curl around you, clutch onto you and become part of you. I know there is a new album out from Brown Bird (Salt for Salt – see here) – but this previous album, along with e...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 27, 2011, 9:39 am
Slowly getting energy to get back to blogging.  Once again, things like this make it easier.  Please enjoy an acoustic video session from Jeffrey Foucault performing the track Everybody’s Famous from his Slowcoustic top 10 of the year album “Horse Latitudes”. The Living Room Sessions presen...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 21, 2011, 11:06 am
Just a quick one today as I have been a bit ‘meh’ lately on getting my bloggin on.  One thing that recently got me out of my funk (or is getting me out of my funk) is the series of Sunday live performances in Vancouver arranged by Slowcoustic favourites The Sumner Brothers.  For The Sake Of Th...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 18, 2011, 9:45 am
There just might be a bit of West Texas in all of us, it is just a lot more front and center with Caleb Coy. Caleb Coy announced a new Kickstarter campaign to fund his next album just yesterday.  If you are interested in great lo-fi (or maybe not so ‘lo-fi’ for the upcoming album) folk country...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 16, 2011, 11:43 am
Possibly the one song to sum up Ryan Adams to me is “Come Pick Me Up” when it is done solo acoustic. The song is a total sad bastard song done the way I like it.  Mostly because it has:  A poor bastard getting fucked over as subject matter Harmonica Uncontrollably catchy hooks (but in a good ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 9, 2011, 11:18 am
I picked up this album yesterday on limited white vinyl for $15.00 with shipping to Canada.  This is something to give thanks for on this Canadian Thanksgiving…or as I know it, Thanksgiving. Everything about this album is easy; its beauty, how you immediately find yourself a bit more comfortable...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 5, 2011, 2:10 pm
Thought I would post on my top LAST.FM artists of the last 6 months for your perusal and judgment.  While not completely accurate of my listening as there is still my listening to music non-stop during my commute to work (2 hours daily) and my sad basement day job that don’t get scrobbled to Last...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 4, 2011, 9:53 am
Mid 2010 found Tyler Butler recording a new-to-me session (I actually just found it the other day) for his Feral Horse EP that was released in January 2010.  I wanted to touch on this release as I tend to get wrapped up in his newer album Winter King and forget the amazing debut by this Edmonton si...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Oct 1, 2011, 12:55 pm
Not too much actually connecting the 3 musicians in this post other than I have been listening and wanted to post on them. First off, Bryan John Appleby stopped by the folks at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends blog to record a Chapel Session and recorded my favourite track of the new album (take a spin t...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 29, 2011, 9:38 am
I am kind of having a Gregory Alan Isakov moment.  Okay, I am fully having a moment.  Always been a fan of this guy (why isn’t he famous anyway) and after receiving my vinyl copy of “That Empty Northern Hemisphere”, I just can’t get enough.  God damn…the combination of his voice and per...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 27, 2011, 9:34 am
Big fan of everything (no pun intended) about this video.  Chris Bathgate (& crew), great scenery, acoustics….what else do you need?  The video is brought to you from the good folks at Mostly Midwest (see their post here that includes another classic track “Cold Press Rail”). Rabbit Island ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 24, 2011, 10:52 am
This is a repost from December 2009 that I had to put back up because the music is good.  Real good.  I also just picked up the EP “Ballads, Stripmall” (iTunes, eMusic) as I realized I didn’t officially have the entire thing and it all came back in a rush as to why I love this band.  He has...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 22, 2011, 11:40 am
If there is something I appreciate, it is a great sense of instrumentation, harmonies and use of acoustics in my “folk” music selections.  Small Houses (or Jeremy Quentin as the government knows him) includes all these things in his sound.  Quentin has recently been added to our ‘featured vi...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 20, 2011, 9:50 am
Just a quick post of a Daniel Johnson cover from Bahhaj Taherzadeh (We/Or/Me) that was just completed for a lost friend.  Songs mean many things to many people and some are shared specifically among friends.  I don’t pretend to know the whole story behind the recording, but it is a great song, d...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 18, 2011, 12:40 pm
Now playing the newest Scott Orr album Where I Lived, And What I Lived For this Sunday.  If you are looking for a great acoustic album that brings some slow burners and even a few not so slow burners (for those mid-tempo-coustic types) this just might be your next album. I apparently thought I was...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 16, 2011, 9:49 am
I’ve been keeping my eye on Ryan Tanner ever since he floored me with his great cover of ‘Goodbye’ from Steve Earle – it ended up being song of the week as song of the day just wasn’t doing it justice.  Well I realized that he just released an EP of acoustic tracks just this week!  The E...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 14, 2011, 10:08 am
Front page banner image from Mostly Midwest Photography – (Visit on Flickr) Just letting y’all know that Philadelphia’s Hezekiah Jones is now fully up on Bandcamp for all 4 releases from Yer Bird Records.  You can now stream two of my favourite songs from 2011 – see below for “Lift the S...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 13, 2011, 9:48 am
Iron and Wine perform ‘He Lays in the Reins’ on Sound Opinions from WBEZ on Vimeo. Just a track that I have always liked since the collaboration between Iron & Wine and Calexico some years ago.  This track has just always been a favourite for some reason.  I have a couple versions that have c...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 10, 2011, 12:07 pm
Sometimes I feel like although I can be considered a niche music blogger, that there is quite a range of music that I consider in that niche (that I have in my head at least).  So today includes 4 tracks that I find to me more or less in my own niche, but in fact they are all quiet different.  Con...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 7, 2011, 10:33 am
(above & main banner photo by Danni Hohensee) South of Lincoln was ‘discovered’ via an innocent recommendation in the forums at AltCountryTab.ca and it wasn’t even directed at me.  Yet, it ended up being meant for me…I know it.  South of Lincoln (or Maxwell Holmquist) is, you guessed it, ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 4, 2011, 12:07 pm
Meursault are due for an album and I think it just might be around in the next bit – but who knows with these band types.  HA, just kidding (not really), but Matthew at Song, by Toad brought to my attention a new Location Music TV session with Neil Pennycook from Meursault…and it was real good....
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 3, 2011, 7:25 pm
Re-post from way back in January 2009 with the final track to the President’s project from Christian Kiefer/Jefferson Pitcher/J. Matthew Gerken and released from Standard Recording Co.  The package came to be via the FAWM (February Album Writing Month) and included many contributions…including ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 2, 2011, 11:36 am
Yesterday I was tweeting with Greg over at Captains Dead (yes, grown ass men tweet like they are 14 year old girls on an unlimited texting plan….no offense to 14 year old girls intended) and realized that this Mount Moriah band are pretty much kick ass.  But I digress… Mount Moriah’s latest ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Sep 1, 2011, 12:13 pm
Caleb Stine is someone that is no stranger to Slowcoustic and has a history of bringing excellent folk/country/bluegrass songs to light.  This specific track below is considered “traditional” and I am not sure who it is officially credited to, but Caleb gives ‘em a run for their money. The s...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 29, 2011, 12:05 pm
Let’s not beat around the proverbial bush here, we love Lotte Kestner (Anna-Lynne Williams) around here.  A lot. Yesterday, Lotte Kestner released a selection of stripped down ‘solo’ Trespassers William songs on her Bandcamp page.  There are 10 tracks that span more than a few years/albums ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 27, 2011, 11:44 am
Banner image above taken from Radical Face Photos (visit) Thanks to my co-horts over at Knox Road, I have had the pleasure of listening to the new 3 track EP “The Bastards: Volume One” from Radical Face! (see their post here) The new (Free) digital EP is almost a teaser to the full length bein...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 26, 2011, 9:50 am
*photo by Chris Robleski New release over on Conrad Plymouth’s Bandcamp page provides some solo Christopher Porterfield tracks.  Almost a stop-gap EP on the road to the upcoming full length album from the full band.  The 7 songs are new, old and even finish out with a Mickey Newbury cover!  Th...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 25, 2011, 10:06 am
I think the title of the post precludes what is happening on this post.  So let’s get on with it. Brand new video for Dolorean’s “Black Hills Gold” premiered yesterday on IFC.  There is a whole backstory with the video in a way mirroring the life of Dennis Wilson (of the Beach Boys).  Ch...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 23, 2011, 9:53 am
Ryan Tanner’s “Peaceful Mind” is today’s song of the day.  It’s poignant, beautiful to listen to and just the right distance between sorrow and contentment.  I think his Canadian musical doppelganger might be Frederick Squire…listen to the lyrics and you will see where I am coming from...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 21, 2011, 12:13 pm
*picture of artwork from here. This Sunday I thought we should have some ‘beauties’ in the form of 3 ladies who emanate music soo soothing, stunning and Sunday morning French press worthy that is almost ridiculous. As far as I know they are not connected in any way, Tiny Ruins and Haruko have ...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 19, 2011, 10:00 am
*top blog banner image from here.  I (heart) my blog buttons stolen from somewhere I forget!! I thought today I would do a bit of a blogger round up of for ‘items of note’ that I have noticed, and you should as well.  Well, enough about me…let’s send you other places than Slowcoustic! Di...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 16, 2011, 10:00 am
This November 7th sees the full length album “Repentance” from British Columbian (and for a short while, Calgarian) Jordan Klassen. One of my favourite artists from the 2010 Calgary Folk Fest is bringing his infectious indie folk to life once again. Klassen’s music can be akin to a Canadian S...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 15, 2011, 9:58 am
If you are Alberta based and you fancy yourself musically inclined, you have a goal.  That goal is to join the ranks of the musicians included in the TransCanada Alberta Music Series for 2012.  The deadline to submit your talent is upcoming (Sept. 30th), so don’t sleep on this, just do it – we...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 14, 2011, 12:32 pm
This is a re-posting because it is such a great album that I simply have to.  A side note to the original post is that I did in fact go to the show I mention below and it was fantastic and had Brian sign my vinyl copy of the album!  Please enjoy the experience of this album at some point in your l...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 12, 2011, 9:46 am
Chris Kiehne has just released his newest album ‘A Widower’s Kind’ via his Bandcamp page and as eluded to in the title of this post he is using material from the great Hank Williams.  By his own admission he describes the project below: “A Widower’s Kind” is a collection of significant...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 10, 2011, 10:20 am
Today’s song & video of the day came out of nowhere, but from a familiar place – always nice when that happens.  Creeping on music forums is one of the best ways to find music – you tend to get a lot of suggestions and the people tend to know what they are talking about.  Then, I look into i...
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Sandy S. posted an article on Slowcoustic - Aug 6, 2011, 10:00 am
Today is a guest post from Tyler Butler, creator of one of my favourite albums of 2011 thus far, Winter King (see here).  Crawl inside his head and read into how Butler comes to terms with one of the very things it is to be Canadian.  Enjoy the below feature and swing by and visit him on Old Ugly ...
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